Tuesday, October 18, 2011

For Joseph on His 9th Birthday

One of my favorite things about Joseph is that he has always felt obligated to dance when he hears music. It is something he and I have in common. It's like he has no control of his body and the music takes over. That coupled with his desire to sing the thoughts in his head on a regular basis makes for great entertainment for us all. He is going to audition for Children's Chorus this year, and I think he will have a ball.

He's also a kid who likes everything in its place. He is organized and tidy and will clean up after his brothers without complaint because it must be just so. His room is the neatest, his bed is usually made and he loves to do dishes. All the makings for a good husband, I think!

I learned more recently about his soft heart. He was watching a strange cartoon about a warrior life and a girl was killed. He was sad and moved and affected by what he saw. I have known that he feels things deeply, but watching his emotion over this movie was an interesting affirmation that he is a still water that runs deep. When I was sick earlier this year, he was the only one who drew me a picture and wrote me a note telling me to get well.

Another thing that I love about Joseph is that he keeps up with his older brothers and always has. He keeps up because it has never occurred to him that he can't. He has always been incredibly capable in action, thought and communication. The knowledge that he can do something because he thinks he can is something I admire.

The thing I admire most, however, is that he is brave every day. He does the things he has to do when he has to do them whether he likes it or not. He has things that are sometimes hard to do or hard to know. He doesn't complain, he doesn't object. He does it. He faces it. And he goes on. It's a lesson we could all learn.